Individual versus Community in Bret Harte’s “Outcasts of Poker Flat” “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” is a short story written by American writer Bret Harte in 1869. This story is an example of traditional American literature of that time. It is a naturalistic story piece which received prominent critical attention when it was first published. Harte describes many of the vices of the society of that time and shows in which ways American public community was found on wrong moral principles. This paper will show the contrast between individuality and community, between a person and public as the main theme of “The Outcasts of Poker Flat”. This contrast justifies inhumanity and dooms real human being for cold death. Therefore, it is considered to …show more content…
Logically, it would be even better for infamous secret society not to do anything at all than to do what they did. That is because being not a saint is humane, it is normal and moral/immoral, ethical/unethical discussions will be held always and everywhere. But to kill people, make them labeled as exiles, treat people so they are bound to live like animals in extreme conditions is inhumane. By trying to become a more decent community Poker Flat inhabitants committed a crime much more terrible than being immoral or ethical (which is not even a crime). This crime is crime of inhumanity and a crime against justice, against reason, sense and above all against natural right of every human being to live …show more content…
So is prostitution. However, these activities are individually oriented and not any person involved in them is necessarily a terrible person. Humane can be immoral as sin is traditionally connected with manhood. But being inhumane is much worse than being immoral. Whether somebody or something is immoral can depend on time, traditions, geographical region etc. Whereas being inhumane is almost always a concrete condition corruption. To kill somebody and to take somebody’s freedom is bad at any given time. It was bad in Ancient Rome, it is bad now anywhere. But games, sexual debauchery are something that is very widespread and, therefore, humane. It is not good but it is understandable, it can be tolerated and it can surely be legal. But to punish somebody who is not guilty or whose guilt deserves lesser punishment is always